Shoe-pressing machine



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,433

F. RICKS .ET AL SHOE PRESS ING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1925 Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FEED RICKS AND REGINALD BOYD WOODCOCK, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS- TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF RATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHOE-PRESSING MACHINE.

Application filed April 16, 1925, Serial No. 23.670, and in Great Britain August 16, 1924.

This invention relates to shoe pressing machines and is disclosed and illustrated as embodied in a shoe sole leveling machine of the so-called direct-pressure type such as is shown, for example, in Letters Patent No. 1,359,507 ,granted on November 23, 1920, upon an application of Arthur E. Jeri-am and Joseph Gouldbourn, and No. l.6l5 869,gra nted on February 1, 1927, upon an application of Basil P. Cooper, although in various aspects the invention is not limited to application to machines of this type. It may be sated here that since the present problem is essentially a. problem of supporting a last to sustain a shoe on the last against the pressure of sole leveling or other pressing means. retcrence will be made hereinafter particularly o the last. but it will be understood that the llustrated supporting means provided by the invention may as shown, support the last through contact with the shoe on it.

It hasbeen found that wooden lasts of. the movable heel part type or more specifically of the hinge type. when used to support shoes in leveling machines, are sometin cs distorted or broken at the joint or hinge by the leveling machine pressure, thus damaging. the shoes being leveled on them. The problem of avoiding such damage has been broadly treated in the application of A. E. Headley, Ser. No. 234340, filed April 14. 1925, in which a practical solution has been disclosed in connection with a direct-pressure leveling machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe pressing or leveling machine in which a last will be even more effectively supported against damage of the sort referred to than has been done heretofore, without sacrificing any of the advantageous characteristics of previous machines such as machines of the type disclosed in said patents and application. 7

With a view to the attainment of the above stated object, an important feature of the in vention consists in an improved levelingmachine organization in which a shoe on a last. such as a hinge last, is supported for the leveling operation by heel and forepart supporting means and an additional support between the heel and fore parts constructed and arranged to have freedom of movement laterally of the shoe. more efficiently to effect contact therewith irrespective of the shape or p0- sitron of the shoe. Preferably, and as shown, the additional supporting means is formed as two members engaging the shoe on'opposite sides and having freedom of movement laterally as stated to accommodate the shoe between them without disturbance of the distance between them.

Another feature of the invention consists in provision for relative adjustment of two members such as those above mentioned. wherebythey may be caused to approach or separate from each other. i

Another feature of the invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement permitting two supporting members to have freedom of angular movement in any direction relatively to the last, together with the provision of meansforreturning them to a definite position when they are inoperative. These and other features of the invention, comprising certain combinations and arrangements of parts, will be understood from p the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which, l

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of last supporting and leveling instrumentalities ineluding an embodiment-of the present invention in a machine of the type alluded to above. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same parts.

As already stated, the illustrated machine is of the type shown in the patents referred to, to which reference may be had for more detailed description of theconstruction, arrangement and operation of parts not fully described herein. The leveling form 52 is shown herein only diagrammatically. Its

tailed way 2** to accommodate difierent lengths of shoes similarly to the heelend suplength by a rod 1-? which passes through a port 3, as described in "the Cooper patent abovereferredto. The shoe B. on itsilast C is shown supported on these supports as described in the Cooper patent.

Secured to opposite sides of the base of the heel end support 3 (so as to move therewith as the latter is adjusted on its slideway 4:) are short brackets leach carrying one of two parallel pivot pins 15 the axes of which are inclined forwardly and upwardly so as to be parallel to the heel end support slideway. Pivoted on the pins 15 andprojecting upwardly so asto extend on either side of a last carried by the forepart and heel end supports are a pair of arms 16 connected together at a point about "half way of their pivoted trunnion bearing,.18 in each arm. The opposite ends of the rod 17 are provided with right and lefthand threads 19, 20, which engage with similar threadszon the respective pivoted trunnion bearings.

Rotation of the rod 17 will therefore cause the upper ends of the arms16 to approach or separate. from each other, while the rod does not interfere with swinging movements of the arms about the pivotal bearings at 15.

The upper end of each-armlG terminates in a ball- 30 forming aspherical seating or universal mounting for a felt-covered flat metal holding member or block 31. These blocks contact with the shoe at the desired locality, one on'each side, and effect the desired support in the regionof the joint between the last parts. A pin 21- screwed into each of the metalhlocks 31 passes into a bore 22 of large diameter drilled in the arm 16 diametrically of the ball 30 and is engaged by a tension spring 23 secured at its lower end to a transverse pin24 at the lower end of the bore 22. It will be apparent, therefore, that although the felt-covered blocks 31 can, on engagement with a shoe, turn in any direction about their spherical seatings to engage the shoe firmly over their whole surface, they will when released from engagement, with the shoe be returned to their original inoperative'position by the springs 23. I

Since the arms 16 are pivoted at 15 to fixed supports and are only connected by therod 17 passing through-their, trunnions, they can swing together about their pivots in either direction, andare constrained to swing both in the same direction, and thus carry the feltcovered blocks3l in company laterally of their mid positionso thatthese mayeonjointly locate. themselves. in :receiving the shoe. 3 Studs 25 passing through bosses 26 on the lower ends of the arms l6 contact with stops 2'? .on the brackets 14, to limit the'extent to which the arms can thus swing. 1

,A felt-lined metal band 28 mounted on arms 32 secured to the base of the heel end support by flanges 34 slotted at 36 to permit adjustment is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 extending around the heel end .of the shoe upper. This band prevents rearward displacement of the shoe during the operation disclosed in the Cooper patent aforesaid, but in this iustance the arms 32 are bowed out on each side to allow the machine operator to get his hands in easily, from the rear of the boot, to pull uponthe upper of a boot to position it as shown.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A shoe leveling machine having a power-operated mechanism comprising a leveling member and a last supporting means comprising a last heel support, a last forcpart 3 support and means for additionally supporting against leveling pressure on the shoe bottom :1 jointed last carried by the two firstnamed supports in the neighborhood of the joint, the additional supporting means having freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate itself to the contour thereof.

2. A shoe pressing machine having a pressing 1 member and a last supporting means comprising a last heel support, a last fore- I part support, and additional supporting means for a last on the two first-named supports. the additional supporting means comprising two holding members arrangedto engage a shoe on the last on opposite sides to sustain the last and shoe against pressure directed against the shoe sole and having freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thereof.

3. A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member and a jack comprising a last heel support, a last forepart support and additional supporting means for a jointed last on the two first-named supports in the region of the joint, the additional supporting means comprisingtwo holding members arranged to contact with the opposite sides of a shoe on the last to sustain the last and shoe against pressure directed against the shoe sole and having freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thereof without alteration of the distance between them.

4. A shoe pressing machine having apressing member and a supporting means comprising a last heel support, a last forepart support and additional supporting means fora last on the two first-named supports, theadditional supporting means comprising two holding members arranged to contact with the opposite sides of a shoe on the last to sustain the last and shoe against pressure directed against the shoe sole and having freedom of movement laterally ot the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thcre- A support, a last forepart support and additional supporting means for alast on the two first-named supports, the additional supporting means comprising two holding members arranged to contact with the opposite sides of a a shoe on the last and having both freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thereof and relative adjustability as to their distance apart.

6. A shoe leveling machine having a levelingmember, a last heel support, a last forepart support and additional supporting means fora jointed last on the two first-named supports, the additional supporting means comprising two holding members arranged to contact with the opposite sides of a shoe on the last at the joint and having'freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thereof and mounted for universal angular movement, and means for returning the holding members to definite positions when inoperative.

7-. A shoe leveling machine having a level ing member, a last heel support, a last forepart support and additional supporting means for a last on the two first-named supports, the additional supporting means comprising two holdingmembers arranged to contact with the opposite sidesof a shoe on the last to sustain the last and shoe against pressure directed against the shoe sole and having freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thereof, said holding members being mounted for universalangular movement.

8. A shoe pressing machine having a press- 7 in g member, a last heel support, a last forepart supporting cradle arranged substantially to fit the contour of the forepart, of a lastfrom the toe to the instep, and additional supporting means arranged to supportthe last between the cradle and heel support to sustain the last and a shoe on it against pressure directed against the shoe sole and having freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate itself to the contour thereof.

9. A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member, a last heel support, a last forepart supporting cradle arranged substantially to fit the contour of the forepart of a last from the toe to the instep, and additional supporting means arranged to support the last between the cradle and heel support com prising two contact members having freedom of movement laterally of the last and relatively adjustable as to the distance between them.

10. A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member, a last heel support, a last forepart supporting cradle arranged substantially to fit the contour of the forepart of a last from the toe to the instep, and additional supporting means arranged to support the last between the cradle and heel support comprising two contact members having freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thereofwithout alteration of the distance between them.

11. A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member, and a last heel support, a last forepart supporting cradle arranged substantially to lit the contour of the forepart of a last, and additional supporting means arranged to support the last between the cradle and heel support to sustain the last and ashoe on it against pressure directed against the shoe sole, comprising two contact members arranged for universal movement on their supports in response to engagement of the shoe therewith. I v 12. A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member and a jack comprising a last heel support, a last forepart supporting cradle arranged substantially to fit the contour of the forepart of a last, and additional supporting means arranged to support the last between the cradle and heel support comprising two contact members arranged for universal movement on their supports and to return to definite positions when inoperative.

13. A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member, a last heel support, a last forepart supporting cradle arranged substantiallv to fit the contour of the forepart of a 'JOllTlJGCl last, and additional supporting means arranged to support the last between the cradle and heel support substantially at the joint comprising two contact members arranged for universal spring-controlled move ment on their supports about a definite inoperative position. 1

14s A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member, a last heel support, a last forepart support, and additional supporting means for engaging a shoe ona hinge last on the two first-named supports in the region of the hinge, the additional supporting means being pivotally mounted on the lastheel support with freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate itself to the contour thereof.

15. A shoe leveling machine having a leveling member, a last heel support, a last forepart support, and additional supporting means for engaging a shoe on a last on the two first-named supports, the additional supporting means comprising two holding members arranged to contact with the opposite sides of the shoe, said members being pivotally mounted on the last heel support with freedom of movement laterally of the last to accommodate themselves to the contour thereof without alteration of the distance between them, and means for adjusting said distance.

16. A shoe leveling machine having a pressing form, a last heel support, a last forepart support, a heel band for holding the heel end, of a shoe on a last on said supports, and arms supporting said band and diverging laterally in both directions from the shoe to permit access to the rear end of the shoe upper.

17. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination with means for applying pressure to for supporting the last between said forepart and heel end supports, said additional means being constructed to engage the opposite sidefaices of the shoe and being mounted to move freely-in opposite directions laterally of the shoe to permit it to accommodate itself to the shape and position of the shoe in response to engagement of the shoe therewith. i

18. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination with means'for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a support for the forepart of the last. a support for the heel end of the last and additional means for supporting the last between said forepart and heel end supports, said additional means comprising arms separately mounted for swinging movements laterally of the shoe to accommodate themselves to the shoe and having members thereon for engaging the opposite sides of the shoe, and a eonnectionbetween said arms constraining them both to swing in thesame direction without substantially altering the distance between the slice-engaging members. 7

19; Ina shoe pressing machine, the combination with means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a support for the forepart of the last, a support for the heel end of the last, and additional means for supporting the last between said forepart and heel end'supports, said additional means comprising arms separately mounted for swinging movements laterally of the shoe to accommodate themselves to the shoe and having members thereon for engaging the opposite sides of the shoe, and a screw-threaded Inember connecting said arms and rotatable to ad,-

just them toward or from each other, said member having swiveled connections with the arms to prevent interference with their swinging movements. h

20. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination with meansfor applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a support for the forepart of the last, a support for the heel end of the last, and additional. means for supporting the last between said torepart and heel end supports, said additional means comprising arms separately mounted for swinging movements laterally of the shoe to accommodate themselves to the shoe and hava ing members thereon for engaging the opposite sides of the shoe, said members being mounted for universal angular movements relatively to the arms, and means connecting the arms for movements simultaneously in i the samedirection. y

21. In ashoe pressing machine, the combination with means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe on a last, of a support for the forepart of thelast, a support for the heel end of the last, and additional means for In testimony whereof we have signed our 1 names to this specification.

FRED RICKS. V v REGINALD BOYD WOODCOCK. 

